Classic cheese sauce
It ends here. No more packet cheese sauces. It is literally so easy to make your own (it’s just the béchamel with cheese in it) and I promise you’ll be able to tell the difference. Forget the powdery texture and the 10,000 unknown ingredients that you just ignore on the packet. You know everything going into this baby, and it’s all good stuff. Good stuff = good sauce.
I use this cheese sauce as a basis for a load of dishes, including mac ‘n’ cheese, croque monsieur and basically anything else you want to taste creamy and cheesy. Whack it over some cauliflower for the ultimate veggie side for this weekends Sunday roast. Please tell me if this homemade classic cheese sauce replaces your packet mixes from now on?!
This recipe is from my book, Poppy Cooks: The Food You Need
Photographs © Louise Hagger, 2021
Ingredients
- 500ml whole milk
- 50g butter
- 70g plain flour
- 1⁄2 tsp salt
- 1⁄2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 200g your choice of cheese, grated (I’d go for cheddar and double Gloucester, but a traditional Mornay sauce usually just has gruyère in there)
Method
- Pour the milk into a medium saucepan and place it over a medium heat for 7 minutes, until warmed through. Set aside.
- Place a second, smallish saucepan over a low–medium heat. Add the butter and allow it to melt. Then, using a spatula or wooden spoon, gradually beat in the flour, about a tablespoon at a time, until you have a thick paste. You don’t want the paste to start browning – if you’re worried just take the pan off the heat to slow things down a little as you add.
- Once all the flour is in, cook, stirring, until you have a dough-like consistency and the paste is coming away from the sides of the pan.
- Little by little, add the warmed milk, making sure you allow the first addition to fully incorporate into the paste before adding more. Keep mixing to avoid lumps – switch to a whisk if you need to.
- Once all the milk is in and you have a smooth, thick sauce, season with the salt and nutmeg.
- Now, simply add your cheese and stir to melt in and combine for the perfect cheesy sauce! If you’re not using the sauce straight away, transfer it to an airtight container (leave it to cool before you put the lid on).